Coffee
Coffee is a caffeinated beverage brewed from beans extracted from the cherry of a coffee tree. It is generally believed that coffee was first discovered in East Africa before spreading to the Arabian peninsula. In recent centuries, coffee has become one of the most popular drinks in the world and one of the most valuable traded commodities, especially for developing countries [http://www.ico.org/coffee_story.asp The Story of Coffee - International Coffee Organization]. Legend In a commonly repeated, and almost certainly apocryphal legend, the first human to discover coffee was an Ethiopian goatherder named Kaldi. The exact telling varies based on the teller, but the general story is that one day Kaldi was unable to bid his goats to return from grazing. After searching for them, he found them dancing madly around shrubs with red berries. The goats did not want to leave from grazing on these bushes. Eventually, Kaldi tried the berries themselves and felt energized and inspired. Word spread quickly throughout the region, and coffee took hold in Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia) . History The exact origins of coffee are unknown, but it is believed that its consumption by humans dates as far back as the sixth century in modern day Ethiopia, initially consumed as a food rather than a beverage. From that time coffee has coffee consumption has spread throughout the world to become a widely consumed beverage with great cultural significance. Cultivation and propagation in Arabia Arabica coffee is native to rain forests in the central plains of Ethiopia, wherein it still grows wild today. While the route is unknown, it is believed that arabica coffee trees were first cultivated in the Southern Arabian peninsula (modern-day Yemen) in the sixth century after being brought over by invading Ethiopians. At first, coffee was used primarily by the Sufi monks to allow them the stay awake and alert for prayers. However, it would not be long before coffee would spread throughout Arabia, eventually resulting in the first coffee houses . In 1611, the governor of Mecca, believing that coffee encouraged sedition, closed down all of Mecca's coffee houses. Other influential leaders in the region alternately blessed or cursed the consumption of coffee. In some cities in the Middle East coffee was banned, while in Turkey, a woman could file for divorce if her husband did not provide a sufficient amount of coffee . Coffee spreads into Europe and its colonies By the mid-sixteenth century, coffee had spread outside of the Middle East, becoming popular amongst Europeans. Arabians closely guarded live coffee seeds so as to maintain a monopoly on the coffee trade. It was forbidden to export any coffee bean that had not been processed to prevent it from being germinated . Despite this ban, in 1616 a coffee plant was brought to Holland. After failed attempts to grow coffee in Europe, the Dutch successfully grew coffee in Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka) and Java. At this point, the primary points from which Europeans obtained coffee were the Arabian port of Mocha and island of Java. The combination of coffees from these origins led to the original Mocha Java blend . See also *List of coffee drinks References Category:Beverages